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Tasmanian Devil
The Tasmanian Devil, often shortened to Taz, is a Looney Tunes character. Origin Robert McKimson designed the character after the real-life Tasmanian devil, an animal native to Australia, and the Tennessee Top of American folklore; however, the only real resemblance between the real-life marsupial and Robert's beast is their ravenous appetite. In fact, it is this appetite that serves as Taz's main characteristic. The Devil devours everything in sight, including boulders, trees, shrubs, and hills, all the while whirling about like a miniature cyclone that sounds like a dozen motors all whirring in unison. Taz also harbors a special craving for rabbits. According to the Toonheads episode "Tasmanian Devil", Robert created Taz when he and screenwriter Sid Marcus were discussing about new foes to challenge Bugs Bunny, and even commented that of all the animals, the only creature they haven't used against Bugs was the Tasmanian devil. Descriptions There have been some descriptions about the Tasmanian Devil in some cartoons. In "Devil May Hare", it described as "A strong murderous beast - jaws as a steel steel trap - has ravenous appetite - eats tigers, lions, elephants, buffaloes, donkeys, giraffes, octopuses, rhinoceroses, moose, ducks" and of course Taz added in "...and Rabbits." In "Ducking the Devil", it described "WARNING: The TASMANIAN DEVIL is a powerful, vicious, evil-tempered brute -- hungry at all times -- it will eat anything, but is especially fond of wild duck." In "Bedevilled Rabbit", in a Tasmania Brochure, it gives this description: :"Beware of the TASMANIAN DEVIL a vicious ravenous brute with powerful jaws like a steel trap." It also gives a two-page list of what a Tasmanian Devil eats. Page one: Aardvarks, Ants, Bears, Boars, Cats, Bats, Dogs, Hogs, Elephants, Antelopes, Pheasants, Ferrets, Giraffes, Gazelles, Stoats, Goats, Shoats, Ostriches, Lions, Jackals, Muskrats, Minks, Dingoes, Zebras, Foxes, Boxes, Octopus, Penguins, People, Warthogs, Yaks, Gnus, Newts, Walrus---Wildebeests. Page two: Moose, Mice, Moles, Snipes, Elk, Wapati, Tortoise, Road Runner, Elands, Foxes, Wolves, Guinea Hen, Vultures, Eagles, Humming Birds, Squids, Salamanders, Water Buffalo, Bison, Kangaroos, Pigeons, Daws, Unicorns, Vixens, Octopus, Ox, Penguins, Widegons, Warthogs, Yaks, Newts, Walrus, Gnus, Wildebeests. The top of the next page adds "and especially RABBITS!" As well, in the Looney Tunes Show episode "Devil Dog," Daffy described it as: "A wild beast whose insatiable hunger for violence and destruction, combined with his sharp teeth and claws make him the perfect killing machine!". Hunger It is this hunger that serves as the impetus for Robert McKimson's Devil May Hare (first released on June 19, 1954). The Devil stalks Bugs, but due to his dim wits and inability to frame complete, rational sentences, he serves as little more than a nuisance. Bugs eventually gets rid of him in the most logical way possible – matching him up with an equally insatiable female Devil. The character's speech, peppered with growls, screeches, and raspberries, is provided by Mel Blanc and now provided by Jim Cummings, who is most famous for voicing Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Peg-Leg Pete for Disney. Short Retirement and Return Producer Edward Selzer, head of the Warner Bros. animation studio, ordered Robert to retire the character since it was "too obnoxious." After a time with no new Devil shorts, Jack Warner asked what had happened. He then saved the Devil's career when he told Selzer that he had received "boxes and boxes" of fan mail from people who liked the character and wanted to see more of him. Personality Taz is generally portrayed as a dim-witted teenager-type with a notoriously short temper and has little patience. He will eat anything and everything, with an appetite that seems to know no bounds. Taz is best known for his speech consisting mostly of grunts, growls, rasps and screeches, and his ability to spin and bite through just about anything. According to the Toonheads episode "Tasmanian Devil", Taz "had the temper of Yosemite Sam" and is "dumber than Elmer Fudd". Popularity Robert would go on to direct four more Tasmanian Devil cartoons, beginning with "Bedevilled Rabbit" on April 13, 1957. The she-devil returns in this cartoon, now as Mrs. Tasmanian Devil, but she still proves to be the character's weakness when Bugs uses a sexy female devil costume to deliver a bear trap to the ever-hungry brute. Robert would also pair the Devil with Daffy Duck in "Ducking the Devil" (August 17, 1957), before pitting the character against Bugs once again in "Bill of Hare" (June 9, 1962) and "Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare" (March 28, 1964). After Warner Bros. closed its animation studio in 1964, the Tasmanian Devil would remain a nostalgic favorite for many fans. Legacy This late-blossoming popularity would pay off for Taz in Warner Bros. television animation. For example, his miniature understudy, Dizzy Devil, was introduced as a recurring character in the syndicated/Fox Kids television series, Tiny Toon Adventures (first released on January 3, 1990). On September 7, 1991, Taz got his own show, Taz-Mania, set in the typical native island of his species, in a 1950s-era animated household. Taz now had a sister, a rambunctious little brother, a June Cleaver-esque mother, and a decidedly nonchalant father. Taz would appear in an episode of The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries entitled "The Scare Up There" where he is revealed to have stolen peanut packs from the flights. An infant version of Taz is one of the regulars of Baby Looney Tunes series, voiced by Ian James Corlett, first released on September 11, 2001. He also appears in The Looney Tunes Show, as a recurring character. In the show, he is Bugs' pet. Taz is also popular in licensed merchandise, especially resort souvenir T-shirts. Taz in Taz-Mania Taz (voiced by Jim Cummings) is the central character of the series and appears in every episode. The plots of most of the episodes are based upon the relationships various characters have with Taz, thus cast as a not-too-bright teenager in most episodes, less ferocious than his original incarnation. He is sometimes portrayed as a vicious predator, consuming anything with an everlasting appetite scarring much of the native wildlife. Most of the time, Taz speaks in grunts, growls, and rasps, which other characters seem to understand, and is able to spin like a tornado and break through many objects. He also has a calm and caring side to him seen when he is around his friends and family. Taz works as a bellhop at the Hotel Taz-mania. He likes food and Christmas a lot but has a great dislike of water often voicing his displeasure with "Taz hate water!" ''when in close proximity. Taz, being a teenager, shares his house with his family - his dad Hugh and his mother Jean. He also has two siblings - his older sister Molly and little brother Jake. Taz is employed during the series working for Bushwhacker Bob and his Mum at Hotel Tazmania, which they own. Notes *The Tasmanian Devil made a cameo appearance in ''Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, it shows Scooby drinking a blue potion and it turned him into the Tasmanian Devil. Filmography * "Devil May Hare" (June 19, 1954) with Bugs Bunny * "Bedevilled Rabbit" (April 13, 1957) with Bugs Bunny * "Ducking the Devil" (August 17, 1957) with Daffy Duck * "Bill of Hare" (June 9, 1962) with Bugs Bunny * "Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare" (March 28, 1964) with Bugs Bunny * Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales * Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island (1983) * Taz-Mania, voiced by Jim Cummings * Space Jam (1996), voiced by Dee Bradley Baker * Tweety's High-Flying Adventure (2000), voiced by Jim Cummings * Baby Looney Tunes, voiced by Ian James Corlett * Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), voiced by Brendan Fraser * Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas (2006), voiced by Jim Cummings * The Looney Tunes Show, voiced by Jim Cummings Voice Actors *Dee Bradley Baker: Space Jam *Mel Blanc: 1953 - 1987 *Jim Cummings: 1990–present *Brendan Fraser: Looney Tunes: Back in Action *Ian James Corlett: Baby Looney Tunes *Kevin Shinick: Mad *Noel Blanc: Tiny Toon Adventures *Cezary Kwieciński (Poland; Baby Looney Tunes'' only)'' *Micah ouzin salsalyan (Israel Space Jam) Gallery References Category:Characters Category:Antiheroes Category:Males Category:Animals Category:Tasmanian devils Category:1954 Introductions Category:Characters created by Robert McKimson Category:Characters voiced by Mel Blanc Category:The Looney Tunes Show Category:Baby Looney Tunes Category:Looney Tunes: Back in Action Category:Taz-Mania Characters Category:Looney Tunes Characters Category:Looney Tunes: Stranger Than Fiction Category:Characters voiced by Dee Bradley Baker Category:Characters voiced by Jim Cummings Category:Characters voiced by Noel Blanc Category:Wabbit- A Looney Tunes Production Category:Predators Category:Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas Category:Space Jam Characters Category:Characters voiced by Jeff Bergman Category:Characters voiced by Kevin Shinick Category:Characters voiced by Greg Burson Category:Characters voiced by Maurice LaMarche Category:Wabbit Characters Category:Pets Category:Duck Dodgers characters Category:Looney Tunes Racing